Antifreezing device



Nov. 24, 1936. A. ATKINSON ANTIFREEZING DEVICE Filed April 28, 1936 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 ANTIFREEZING DEVICE Arius Atkinson, Stillwater, 0kla., assignor of one-fourth to James E. Berry, Stillwater, Okla.

Application April 28, 1936, Serial No, 76,818

5 Claims.

This invention relates to water systems and more particularly to a means for preventing freezing of water in a pipe system.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means which may be attached to a water system to provide a circulation of water within a pipe so that the same will not freeze in pipe or hose.

Another object of this invention is to providean improved circulating means for a water pipe or hose which is automatically cut off when water is withdrawn from the usual tappets or faucets and which is automatically set in operation as soon as the tappets or faucets are shut off. a

A further object of this invention is to provide in combination with a partitioned pipe or hose, a heating means associated therewith, whereby an active circulation of water is maintained on each side of thepartition when the faucets or outlets connected to the pipe are shut off so as to thereby prevent freezing of the water or other liquid disposed within the pipe or hose.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in, and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherei'n:

Figure 1 is a vertical section partly in detail and partly broken away of an improved antifreezing means for a water system.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of one form of partition used with a conventional pipe.

Figure 3 is a modified form of the partition mounted in a pipe.

Figure 4 is a further embodiment of a partition mounted within a pipe.

Figure 5 is a further modification of a dividing wall disposed Within a hose or pipe.

Referring to the drawing wherein like symbols designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l0 designates generally a pipe which is adapted to be connected at one end to a source of watersupply and which has connected thereto a faucet ll having a handle 13. This faucet H is here shown as being one of a type where the handle 13 is rocked relative to the housing of the faucet and the'valve l2 carried by the faucet H is held in seated position by means of a spring I4. It will be understood, however, that other types of faucets or outlet valves may be associated with the her i ter 1$fibd anti-freezing means which is interposed between the faucet ll.

In order to provide a means whereby the water emanating from the source of supply to which the pipe I0 is connected will not freeze, I have provided a pipe l5 which may be of a suitable length and which has mounted therein a partition l6 which divides the interior of the pipe l5 into a hot water chamber l1 and a second or circulating chamber I8. This partition l6 terminates adjacent one end of the pipe l5, as shown at l9, and continues through an L or connector 20 into abranch 2|. The housing, of the faucet ll, having a nipple 22, may also be provided with a partition 23 alining with the I partition 24 carried by the branch 2| so that the hot water chamber I! will be continuous from the connection 25, connecting the supply pipe I!) with the pipe IE to the faucet l I.

The water from the supply pipe [0 is adapted to freely flow on opposite. sides of the partition or dividing wall l6 when the valve II is in open position. A heating member, generally designated as 26, is disposed about the pipe l5 at a suitable point and the heating member 26 comprises a housing 21 having a combustion chamber 28 at one end thereof in which burners 29 are mounted and the burners 29 may be lighted through the medium of a lighting member 30 of conventional construction. The casing 21 has a heating chamber 3| therein, through which heater tubes 32 extend, the heater tubes 32 being connected at one end to a wall 33 above the combustion chamber 28 and an upper wall 34 disposed adjacent the top of the casing 21.; Water from the chamber ll of the pipe I5 is adapted to enter the heating chamber 3| through an inlet opening 35 provided in the pipe l5 adjacent the lower wall 33 and the sides of this opening 35 are inclined upwardly and inwardly with respect to the chamber I! .so that when the valve l I is in open position, the water in the chamber ll will not be shunted into the heating chamber or reservoir 3|. The pipe l5 pipe I!) and the is provided with an outlet opening 36 adjacent the upper end of the heating chamber 3| and a' check valve 31 is carried by the pipe-l5 and is gravitatingly maintained in open position when the pressure on opposite sides of the partition I6 is equal and the valve II is closed.

, The casing 21 is provided in the lower wall 38 thereof with screened openings 39 and is provided with an upper flanged plate 40 in which screened or filtering plugs 4| are. mounted'so that the gases may pass vertically'from; the

combustion chamber 28 through the tubes 32 and then out through the filtering plugs 4| which are threaded into the plate 40. A cap 42, having a nipple 43 at the center thereof, engages about the pipe I 5 and is disposed in spaced relation to the top plate 40 and has a dependent outer edge portion 44 which loosely engages about the outer or peripheral edge of the plate 40 so that the gases, after passing through the filtering members 4|, may pass into the atmosphere.

A cold Water reservoir 45 is disposed above the heating chamber and about the pipe l5 and the cold water chamber N3 of the pipe l5 has an opening 46 adjacent the upper end of the reservoir 45 providing communication between the chamber l8 and the reservoir 45, and the chamber |8 also has a second lower opening 4! providing a second means of communication between the reservoir 45 and the chamber I8. A partition or wall 48 is secured across the chamber l8 adjacent the lower edge of the opening 46 so that when the valve II is opened, the water will first flow upwardly through the chamber l8 and then out through the opening 41 into the reservoir 45. The unheated water will then pass through the opening 46 into the upperpart of the chamber I8 and then out through the valve or faucet II.

In Figure 2, there is disclosed a pipe or hose l5a, in which a partition |6a is mounted and this partition |6a has opposed flanges 49 on opposite edges thereof which snugly engage the inside wall of the pipe or hose l5a. This partition l6a is normally in substantially I-form in transverse section and is constructed of yieldable material such as rubber or the like, and is provided with a stiffening or reinforcing member 50 which is vulcanized on the inside thereof so as to prevent collapsing of the transverse wall of the partition. This partition |6a may be used in a metal or rigid pipe or may be used in a flexible hose so that the water within the pipe or hose |5a will be prevented from freezing when the outer end thereof has been closed as by a valve or nozzle.

Figure 3 shows another pipe |5b in which a partition I627 is mounted and, this partition l6b has oppositely extending flanges 5| on the opposite edges thereof which may be secured to the inside wall of the pipe I5b in any suitable manner.

A pipe |5c is shown in Figure 4, which has another form of partition |6c disposed therein which is provided with flanges 52 on the opposite edges thereof, these flanges 52 extending outwardly from the same side of the partition I60. These flanges 52 may be Welded or otherwise secured within the pipe I50.

In Figure 5, there is shown a further form of dual pipe l5d having a partition |6d therein. This partition |6d has flanges 53 on opposite edges thereof which, in the present instance, extend outwardly from the same side of the wall |6d and, in this instance, the partition |6d is maintained in desired position within the pipe |5d by means of gaskets 54 which are interposed between the flanges 53 and the inside surface of the pipe I511.

In the use and operation of this device, the burners 29 may be lighted to the desired degree so as to provide heat in the combustion chamber 28 which will rise upwardly through the heater tubes 32. The water in the chamber 3| will be heated and assuming that the valve ber or faucet H is closed, the pressure on the opposite sides of the partition l6 will be equal so that water will enter the chamber 3| through the intake opening 35 and as this water is heated, the heated water will flow out through the outlet opening 36. When the pressure in the hot water chamber l! of the pipe I5 is equal to the pressure in the chamber l8, the valve 31 will be opened by gravity so that the hot water may flow upwardly through the chamber l1 and then pass about the end of the partition 23 in the valve nipple 22 and return through the chamber I8. The returning water will enter the reservoir 45 through the opening 46 and then pass out through the lower opening 41 in this reservoir back into the chamber 8. This water will then flow downwardly in the chaml8 until the end I9 of the partition is reached, whereupon the water will return through the hot water chamber l1 and the intake opening 35 into the heating chamber 3|.

When the faucet II is opened, the pressure of the water in the pipe l5 will effect closing of the check valve 31 so that only cold water will flow through the chamber l1 and. at this time the cold water from the supply pipe ID will fiow upwardly through the chamber l8 and then enter the cold water reservoir 45 through the opening 41. This cold water from the chamber I8 Will commingle with the cold Water in the reservoir 45 and then flow out through the opening 46 and into the faucet II where this cold water will commingle with the water passing through the chamber II.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that an automatic means has been provided whereby water in a pipe system will be prevented from freezing and that this anti-freezing means will operate automatically whenever the faucets or valves connected to the system are in closed position.

The reservoir 45 may be of any desired size and is here shown only diagrammatically, it being understod that this reservoir may be constructed in the form of a relatively large tank to hold the desired quantity of cold water which may be mixed with the water passing through the chamber I? when the valve II is opened.

I claim:-

1. In a water system, a service pipe adapted to be connected at one end to a source of water supply, a valve at the other end of the pipe, 2. wall extending longitudinally of the pipe and dividing the pipe into two chambers, a heatingmember about the pipe, said pipe having spaced apart openings communicating with the heating member and with one of said chambers, and a check valve in one of said openings.

2. An anti-freezing means for a water system comprising a pipe interposed in the system, a partition dividing the pipe into two longitudinal chambers, a heating means about a portion of the pipe, said pipe having a pair of openings communicating with the heating means and one of the chambers, and an automatic valve carried by the pipe in one of said openings adapted to be closed by fiow of water through the pipe when a faucet is opened and to be automatically opened when the faucet is closed.

3, An anti-freezing means for a water system comprising a pipe interposed in the system, a partition dividing the pipe into two longitudinal chambers open at each end, a heating means about the pipe adjacent one end thereof, said heating means including a reservoir, said pipe having a pair of openings therethrough communicating with the heating means and one of the chambers, and a gravity opening check valve carried by the pipe in one of the openings and operable to close said one opening when a faucet connected to the water system is opened.

4. An anti-freezing means for a water system comprising a pipe interposed in the system, a longitudinally extending partition in the pipe and dividing the pipe into two longitudinal chambers open at each end, a heating member secured to the pipe adjacent one end thereof, said pipe having a pair of openings communicating with the heating member and one of the chambers, a check valve carried by the pipe in one of the openings and a reservoir connected to the pipe, said pipe having a pair of openings in the other chamber establishing communication between the reservoir and said other chamber.

5. An anti-freezing means for a water system comprising a tubular member interposed in the system, a partition dividing the member into two longitudinal chambers open at each end, a heating member connected to the pipe, said pipe having openings in one chamber thereof establishing communication between said one chamber and the heating member, a gravity opening check valve carried by the pipe in one of said openings and a, cold water reservoir connected to the pipe, said pipe having a pair of openings establishingcommunication between said reservoir and the other chamber.

. ARIUS ATKINSON. 

